After
by chibichibi k
Summary: Chuck goes over to Casey's after the events in Chuck vs. The First Date. Spoilers! CASEYxCHUCK slash


_Disclaimer: Chuck belongs to NBC and not to me!_

**_Spoilers for Chuck vs. The First Date

* * *

_**_**After**_

As soon as Walker had finished informing Chuck that he was still the Intersect, Casey slunk out of Chuck's apartment and back to his own. Only once the door was closed and locked did he breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Looking down at the gun, equipped with silencer, Casey had to resist the urge to throw it across the room. Instead, he opted to put the gun that he had almost used to kill Chuck, away.

Moving robotically towards his gun locker, he disassembled the fun with military efficiency and put the parts into their proper compartments. He keyed in the code to lock it and the gun locker sprang to life, sliding into the hole in the kitchen wall, to be replaced by the 'built-in' microwave.

After everything was returned to its rightful place in the kitchen, Casey wandered into the living room. Making his way over to the liquor cabinet, he grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass. Settling into his leather couch and he let his thoughts over the last forty-eight hours consume him.

It had shocked him that his emotions had been so scattered since General Beckman had given him the kill order. Casey had known since the day he started guarding Chuck that the kill order would fall to him when the CI and NSA deemed that it was time to eliminate the old Intersect.

Casey had been prepared to go through with the order up until the incident involving Bryce coming back from the dead and the close call with Fulcrum at the Buy More.

That day, when Tommy's men had caught him off guard and the barrel of Tommy's gun was pressed hard into Chuck's lower back, Casey had failed. Hi failure technically only lasted for a short period of time, thanks to Chuck's quick thinking but it still hit him hard. For that short amount of time, the bad guys had won and all hope for Chuck's safety was lost and in that small timeframe Casey's heart had stopped over the thought of losing Chuck. Not over losing the Intersect or failing the NSA but for failing Chuck, losing Chuck.

Since then, Casey found that he was thinking more about Chuck as Chuck than Chuck as the Intersect. He found himself becoming more attached to the computer nerd. The annoying things that Chuck did, that in the beginning made Casey want to wring his neck, now weren't so rage-inducing but endearing.

Casey relaxed deeply into his sofa and rubbed a hand over his face at the direction that his thoughts had turned. Casey was compromised and he knew it and the events of the last two days only helped to drive the point home. He no longer thought of Chuck as his asset but as a person and one that he was becoming steadily more attracted to.

He had just downed the last of his scotch when his doorbell rang. Casey dragged himself away from his couch and trudged towards his door. He grabbed his gun off of the table in the hallway was he approached the door. Peering through the peephole, he rolled his eyes as he saw the one person currently occupying his thoughts.

"What do you want, Bartowski?" Casey asked as he flung open the door.

"Hey Casey." Chuck's eyes wandered frantically, as if looking for an escape route, before they landed on the gun in Casey's right hand. "There, um, isn't a need for the gun is there?"

Looking at the gun and grunted noncommittally before putting it back on the table behind him. Easily within reach if the need were to arise. Casey and Chuck just stared at each other for a few moments before Casey got annoyed.

"Speak Bartowski, otherwise I'm picking up the gun again."

There was another period of silence in which Chuck shifted from side to side as he stood at the door.

"Listen, Wonder Boy," Casey's voice was dripping with venom. "I've had a bad two days. I've been poisoned to the point of near death and gotten sucker punched in the face. So if you'll excuse me, I really want to get a little rest before I have to get beat to shit protecting your scrawny, danger attracting ass from being dropped from another rooftop."

Case moved to close the door when Chuck finally spoke up.

"C-Casey, hold up a minute," Chuck spoke hastily as he put a hand p to stop the door from closing. "Did Sarah tell you what happened?"

"I haven't seen or talked to Agent Walker since Mr. Colt and his men were apprehended. Why? Did you flash on something?" Casey knew what Chuck was referring to but he didn't think it was necessary to let Chuck know that he knew everything.

"No, no flash but the new Intersect was destroyed. Sarah said that the Cipher was a fake and that when the new Intersect came online that it triggered and destroyed it." Chuck paused and looked up at Casey, locking eyes. "I guess you're not going to be off flying jets and blowing things up anytime soon, huh."

Casey could see how the news that the new Intersect had been destroyed had affected the computer nerd. Chuck was slouching slightly more than usual and his eyes were void of their usual light, clouded by an emotion caught between defeat and pain. Casey couldn't really blame Chuck for feeling defeated. Two times he was led to believe that he was done with being the Intersect and back to a normal life only to be told that he was far from done being the Government's walking computer.

"Yeah, no flying jets for me," Casey quipped. "Guess you're still stuck with me. Sorry to add to your bad news."

Chuck flinched at Casey's response and the NSA Agent knew that it had been a low blow but the conversation he had had with Chuck earlier in the break room earlier had stung.

"Casey," Chuck paused as he shifted once more on the door step.

Casey noticed that Chuck shivered against the cool night air. He sighed to himself before stepping aside and letting Chuck into his apartment. Being hyperaware of Chuck's wellbeing could really be annoying at times especially when he could barely get himself to stop thinking about the younger man. Right now, all Casey wanted to do was sleep.

Casey closed the door behind Chuck and watched as the younger man stood in the center of the room, looking slightly lost. Casey made his way into the room and shoved Chuck onto the couch before settling himself into the armchair. They sat in silence for a moment while Chuck gathered his thoughts.

"Were you really poisoned to the point that you were near death?"

The question took Casey by surprise because he hadn't thought Chuck would ask with such curiosity.

"It's sad to admit, but yeah. One of Colt's men impersonated the NSA Agent who was sent to pick up the Cipher and once he had it, he gassed me ad took off."

"You're okay though, right?" Chuck's eyes were filled with concern.

"Nothing a decontamination shower and a shot of antidote straight to the heart couldn't fix."

Chuck's look of shock made Casey's lips quirk up into a small smile. He was always so naïve to the risks that come with being a spy. There was no glitz or glamour, no air of mystery and no hot woman waiting to sleep with the international man or mystery like Chuck thought there were. There was just the chance that when you wake up in the morning that it'll be the last time.

Casey hadn't even noticed that chuck had moved until he was standing in front of him while his fingers quickly undid the buttons on his black shirt. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Casey tried to dislodge Chuck's fingers from his shirt but Chuck was determined and did not relent. When the NSA Agent's shirt was undone, Chuck let his fingers trace lightly over the bruised but healing puncture wound on Casey's chest. The touch was so feather-light that Casey wouldn't have known the nerd Herder was touching him if he wasn't watching the graceful motions of his fingers. Chuck's eyes had a haunted look to them that didn't sit well with Casey.

"Chuck," Casey's voice was just above a whisper. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, you're good." Even though Chuck had said that, the soft touching on his chest didn't stop. Casey stilled Chuck's fingers and forced Chuck to look into his eyes.

"I'm fine. No damage done," he said reassuringly.

Chuck's eyes focused on Casey and he smiled softly before he moved away from the Agent. Casey didn't let go of Chuck's fingers right away.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Why wouldn't I? So I'm still the Intersect. I've managed for the last seven months. What's a few more months, right? They'll have the new Intersect up and running before we know it. Then you'll be back to being the elite NSA Agent you are and I'll be… Well I don't know yet but by then I'll have it figured out," Chuck smiled.

"Just don't get too ahead of yourself with thinking about the future," Chuck said firmly. "The future's a dangerous thing, Chuck. Does-"

"Doesn't always work out like you want it to, I know. You said that earlier," Chuck interrupted. "What's with you and that ominous waning, Casey?"

Casey didn't have an answer. He just wanted Chuck to focus on his life as it was right now. Not what he thinks it would be like in the future because the chances of Chuck having a future after this were slim to none. By trying to make sure that Chuck didn't think too much about the future, meant that Casey didn't have to dwell on what he might have to do to Chuck in the future if he couldn't think of a way to save him now. Catching sight of the time, Casey sighed.

"Well, I have to do an opening shift so it's time for you to get out," Casey said as he got up from the chair. He headed towards the door but Chuck's hand on his forearm stopped him. "Hand," Casey growled.

The usual threat did not seem to have its usual effect. Chuck's grip tightened slightly as his gaze settled on the wound on Casey's chest once again. It was then that he realized that his shirt was still undone.

"I didn't mean it, Casey," Chuck said softly. His whole demeanor changing as he spoke.

"Didn't mean what?" Casey was very confused at what Chuck was trying to get at. He had been sure that the younger man was going to press the issue about his warning.

"About me rather having you off flying jets and blowing stuff up. I'd rather have you here," Chuck paused as he raised his eyes to meet Casey's, "with me. You know, still there to catch me when I get dropped head first off another building."

The NSA Agent was startled by the pure honesty that was reflected in Chuck's eyes. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Casey tried to think of something to say in return.

"Good to know, Chuck," Casey replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

Chuck stepped into Casey's personal space, fingers once again drawn to the wound on Casey's chest. The close proximity was reeking havoc on the NSA Agent's control. He was torn between forcing Chuck out of his apartment or drawing him in closer.

_What am I thinking? _Casey pondered.

Major John Casey had never compromised himself before but now, he had been compromised over a Buy More Nerd Herd, computer geek. The feelings that had manifested themselves over the last few months were not ones a handler should have for their asset. Casey could not, would not compromise himself further.

Chuck on the other hand seemed perfectly fine with helping Casey become further compromised. He had moved fully into Casey's personal space and had his palm pressed firmly over the puncture mark.

"Chuck," Casey warned.

"I mean it Casey," Chuck whispered softly. his warm breath ghosting over Casey's lips.

Chuck closed the remaining distance between their bodies and pressed his lips to Casey's. It was a tender, chaste kiss, slow and inviting Casey to return it. Hesitating for just a moment, Casey thought about the consequences for less than a second before returning the soft kiss. Chuck broke the kiss a few moments later, a content smile on his face.

"I want you to always catch me."

With that last comment lingering between them, Chuck turned and left Casey's apartment, leaving the NSA Agent thinking that it might not be so bad to be compromised if Chuck always kissed like that.


End file.
